Indicator for downward deflection of railroad rails



W. W. WOOSTER.

INDICATOR FOR DOWNWARD DEFLECTION 0F RAILROAD RAILS. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 30, 1919.

1,41 5,287. Patented may 9,1922.

momma.

Mitt srar s iFElQ.

WARREN W.-WOOSTER, 01* BERLIN, NEW JERSEY.

INDICATOR FOR DOWN'WARD DEFLECTION OE RAILROAD RAILS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 9, 1922.

Application filed October 30, 1919. Serial No. 334,622.

To all whom it may concern:

The invention is satisfactorily illustrated in the accompanying drawing, but the i1nportant instrnmentalities thereof -may be varied. and so it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to thespecific details shown and described, as long as they are within the spirit or scope of the claims.

Figure 1 represents a side elevation partly broken away of a device for indicating downward deflection of a railroad rail enibodying my invention, the same being in normal condition and shown applied to a railroad rail.

Figure 2 represents a side elevation of the device at a right angle to Figure 1.

Figure 3 represents a side elevation similar to Figure 2 on a reduced scale shown applied to a. railroad rail.

Figure 4 represents a top plan view of the upper member of the device.

Figure 5 represents a top plan view of the lower member of the device.

Figure 6 represents a side elevation of a portion of the device showing the operation thereof.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding part in the figures.

Referring to the drawings.

1 designates a stake which is adapted. to be driven into a road bed or ground adjacent to the lower flange of a railroad rail the latter being supported on ties as usual.

On the upper portion of said stake is the collar 2 from the side of which projects laterally the interior-1y threaded boss 3 in which is fitted the thumb screw or bolt 4 whose point is adapted to tighten against the side of the stake and so hold said collar stationary in adjusted position. On said stake below said stationary collar 2 is the movable collar 5 from the side of which projects the bos 6 in the bore of which is the spring '7 and ball 8, the latter being adapted to en gage. with the side of the stake land he heldfrictionally against the same by the action of said spring 7, thus retaining said boss 6 in the position in which it may be placed on the stake. I

Projecting outwardly from the collar 5 below the collar 2 is the bifurcation or loop forming the fingers 9,;and depending from the boss 3 i the vertically extending tongue 1.0 which'is adapted to enter said fingers 9,

. and allow thelatter to lowerand rise freely thereon, 1t being noticed that the sides of said tongue have indication marks or some distinct coloring thereonas at 11, so as to visually show to a track hand the extent of downward deflection of the rail when occasioned, said fingers 9 serving to guide the tongue 10.111 its motion and comprising an index to assist in reading-off on said tongue the extent of deflection of the rail.

It will be noticed that the base of the collar 2 and the top of the collar 5 and fin-- g'srs 9 when in normal positions are parallel with the under SE16 of the flange of the rail, and the boss 6 is beneath said. flange in contact therewith, the same held up by the ball 8 as a friction block under the pressure of the spring 7 in said boss Now. when the rail is deflected downwardly by the weight of a train or cars due to improper or insuflicient support of the ties on the road bed or from any other cause, as'often occurs in railroading, the boss 6 is lowered by the rail to the extent of deflection thereof, when it is held on the take where it stops its descent due to the spring pressed ball 8 in the boss 6 bearing against the stake. Now as the fingers 9 lower with the boss 6, and conse quently with the collar 5 it primarily indicates a deflection of a rail, and as said fingers traverse aid tongue in downward direction they uncover a portion. of the side of said tongue, and this shows more visually at 12, Figure 6, between the bottom of the boss 3 and the top of the fingers 9, the extent of the deflection of the rail. This a track walker or inspector will observe and if the deflection exceeds a predetermined amount the deflected rail will receive proper attention to remedy its condition.

The spring 7 and ball 8 are retained in the boss 6 by the screw plug 13 in the outer end of said boss against which plug the adjacent end of said spring has its bearing.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let- :ters Patent, is 2* tion of railroad rails comprising a member adapted to be depressed by a rail, a movable index member adapted to receive relative motion from the rail by the deflection thereof, a support for said index member, and a relativelyflxed indicating member carried by said support and having thereon a characteristic adapted to cooperate with said index and thereby indicate visually the extent of deflection.

3. An indicator for the downwarddefleotion of a railroad rail consisting of an index member adapted to be depressed by the rail and adapted to receive relative motion by such deflection, a support on which said index member is vertically slidably mounted, an'indicating member, and means on which the latter is stationarily supported, said index'member being adapted to be guided by and traverse said indicatingmember and thereby move said indicating member to the extent of said deflection.-

4. An indicator for the downward deflection of a railroad rail consisting of an index member adapted to be depressed by the rail and adapted to receive relative motion by such deflection, a support on which said indexm ember is vertically slidably mounted, an indicating member, and means on which the latter is stationarily supported, said index member being adapted to be guided by and traverse said indicating member and tion or a railroad rail consisting of'a movably supported member adapted 'to be depressed by a rail when'the latter is deflected,

an index member on'said movably supported member, and a stationarily upported member adapted to have said index member traverse the same and to be guided thereby, and friction means for retaining the index member in its depressed position.

6. In an indicating device for the deflection of a railroad rail, a movable member adapted to be engaged by a rail and to receive downward motion therefrom by the deflection'of said rail, an index member on said movably supported member, a stationarily supported indicating member adapted to have said index member traverse the same, interengaging guiding means on the said members, and a stake-like member adapted to have said movably-supported and said stationarily-supported members ,mounted thereon.

7. In an indicating device for the deflection of a railroad rail, an index member, a movable carrier for the latter, an indicating member, a stationary carrier for the latter, a stake-like member on which said carriers are mounted, said movable carrier being adapted to be engaged by the rail to downwardly deflect the same, and means on the carrier of said index member adapted to engage frictionally said stake-like member and thereby retain said carrier of the index member in normal and deflected positions.

WARREN w. WOOSTER.

lVitnesses JOHN A. WVIEDnRsnmM, N. BUSSINGER. 

